Recipes

It happens every year. People want Bottega Cafe and Chez Fonfon's famous coconut and pecan cake for their holiday dessert. And if you order early, it can happen. But many procrastinators wait until the last minute and some even ask me if I can get one for them. How about this instead? Try baking it at home. Thank you, Frank Stitt for sharing the recipe with us at Birmingham Restaurants.

Frank Stitt's wife and business partner, Pardis prefers her margaritas with fresh orange juice. And her version became so popular that it is a mainstay at Bottega Cafe. I love to make these at home during fun family times together. And one Christmas holiday, when I was under the weather, my family made them for me. The alcohol and the Vitamin C proved to be a cure all.

Silk Handkerchiefs, a crab and veggie stuffed pasta, is one of my favorite dishes at Bottega Cafe. And today I am in the kitchen at Bottega Restaurant with executive chef, Frank Stitt and chef de cuisine, John Rolen—watching their performance of making, rolling, cutting, cooking, folding, and stuffing these pasta delicacies. For this farm to table pasta dish, Stitt sources the eggs from his and wife, Pardis’ farm, Paradise Farm. The cherry tomatoes came from Harvest Farm, and the crabmeat is from Greg Abrams Seafood.

Chef Abhi Sauju is cooking for us today at Abhi Eatery and Bar. Here Sauju shares his recipe and procedure for chicken rendang, a dry chicken curry dish is rich in flavor and a hint of spice. Abhi is located at The Summit and is one of Sauju’s two new restaurants, including Mo:Mo: located at Pizitz Food Hall.

Forgo the summer fish fry. Try executive chef and partner of Bistro V, Jeremy Downey’s healthy, seared grouper with local spring vegetables instead. And experiment with a French chervil pistou to top it off. Downey describes it as the perfect topping to most spring dishes.

Executive chef and owner of 5 Point Public House and Ocean creates braised rabbit with spring vegetables and fava beans. Reis finds rabbit similar to chicken in both its health benefits and its meatiness. He invites you to try his recipe and techniques at home.

Moms know that a meal of salmon and sweet potatoes is good for you. So many moms make salmon croquettes served with baked sweet potatoes at home. The Silvertron Café’s Marco Morosini is reversing this tradition, making grilled salmon with sweet potato croquettes.

When people ask a chef the best way to cook a steak, they expect grilling tips. But Dyron’s Lowcountry’s executive chef, Randall Baldwin gives a surprising answer—a cast iron skillet. But it doesn’t stop there. He simply cooks the steak bone in and finishes it with a complex and beautiful wild mushroom, jumbo lump crabmeat, and madeira sauce. View cooking video at BirminghamRestaurants.com/Recipes.

Entrepreneur John Cassimus is the owner of three local restaurants: Jinsei Sushi Bar and Lounge, Maki Fresh, and Miss Dots. Today he and his staff at Jinsei show and tell how to make their wildly popular, Kadoma Tuna and how to shake their luscious Yuzu Sour.

When Eli Markshtien, wife, Laurel and family, moved to Birmingham he could not find an Israeli restaurant. So he opened Eli’s Jerusalem Grill and began cooking his grandmother's recipes. The eatery was an instant success with people of all cultures and those who want to eat organic.

I fell in love with this delicious dish at first bite. One night while sitting on the patio at Gallery Bar 1930, Matthew Rabiee brought me a taste of a dish that his dad, Al had just cooked for their family. It was a divine snapper and rice pilaf, bursting with Mediterranean flavors. I asked Matthew for the name of the dish, and he did not know. And given it is also not on the menu at Vino, Gallery Bar’s sister restaurant, I decided I must have the recipe to make at home.

Summertime, and Village Tavern’s Corporate Chef, Mary Grace Viado makes the cooking easy. She shares her recipe for pimento cheese deviled eggs. They are prefect for a summertime picnic or family gathering and pair well with Village Tavern’s Cubano Sliders.

Can’t cook? No sweat. Prepare Bistro 218’s West Indies Salad without a stove. “This salad originates in Mobile Alabama and is our homage to Alabama cuisine,” Chef and Owner, Tom Saab describes. Bistro 218’s version of West Indies Salad adds the tasty additions of aioli and tomato to the traditional recipe. Yet crab remains the star of this dish with its delicate flavor shining through. “When cooking with crabmeat at Bistro 218 we strive to not mask the flavor with seasonings or fat.” And he achieves excellence in this delightful dish.

Bistro V’s executive chef, Jeremy Downey finds cioppino to be the “world’s best dish.” And after tasting his, I cannot argue. He and I share a love of tomatoes, seafood, spicy heat, and wine—all of which are important components of this dish. As a native of Bayou La Batre, Downey has been cooking and perfecting his cioppino for 20 years. “Cioppino is an expression of me. And today’s is the best one I have ever made,” he describes.

Entrepreneur and chef Linda Croley originally rolled out Bare Naked Noodles as a ready-made pasta meals and sauces business. Her products are made of local and Italian ingredients and are sold at many farmers markets, local grocery and food specialty stores, as well as being served in some of Birmingham’s best restaurants. In 2015 Croley expanded the business by opening a café in Hoover, where she serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays. I stop by the café for lunch often. I especially enjoy the quiches and daily lunch specials, made of in season ingredients. Here I also pick up fresh pasta along with a jar of tomato basil sauce for dinner, on the table in five minutes. And I grab a few frozen dinners that I can pop in the oven anytime. Thus for many of us who are too busy to cook scratch meals using local ingredients, her business fulfills an important need. Or if you want to try your hand at making pasta, Croley shares her egg pasta recipe.

Avgolemono is a creamy and bright Greek, egg-lemon soup. Yet it contains no cream. Perhaps the most famous of all Greek soups, Chicken soup Avgolemono is found on the menu of most Greek restaurants, including Nabeel’s Café and Market (and is available by the quart from the Market). It is also the first course at most Greek holiday celebrations.

Today I am in the kitchen with Birmingham’s most celebrated chef, Frank Stitt. Stitt could have chosen to cook a dish that would show off his culinary skills to cook for us today. But instead he is cooking a simple, French fish dish, which we “at home cooks” can easily make. His Fish Paillard is served at Chez Fonfon and at Highlands Bar and Grill, which Stitt owns with his wife and business partner, Pardis along with their Bottega Café and Bottega Restaurant.

Chef George Reis prepares Alabama oysters at 5 Point Public House Oyster Bar.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

Chef George Reis has shucked many an oyster at Ocean Restaurant. But today we are shucking and frying Alabama oysters next door at his new restaurant, 5 Point Public House Oyster bar. Here Reis serves his succulent oysters with two special touches, his own house made hot sauce and house made crackers.

When it comes to seafood gumbo, I want dark rue, perfect piquancy and very little rice. And I have found none better anywhere than the gumbo at Dyron’s Lowcounty. The Seafood Gumbi is a cult dish here at Dyron’s, which the “regulars” can’t get enough of—no matter the season.

I just love in season salads made with local ingredients. And today at Dyron’s Lowcountry executive chef, Randall Baldwin demos a salad made with Chilton County peaches. Sous chef Scott Cohen is also here to help. He takes over the hot grill while Baldwin executes the cool stuff. You can do the same at home by having your grill master add peaches and onion to the grill while cooking the steaks, chicken, or seafood—while you stay in the air-conditioned kitchen prepping the remaining salad ingredients. The results are an impressive yet easy to make salad that mixes hot and cold on a plate that is a beautiful mix of fruit, greens, onions, nuts, cheese, and balsamic.

The kitchen is the heart of each Italian home. And in The Silvertron Café’s kitchen, we get a taste of what it is like to be part of an Italian family. Cooking with chef Marco Morosini today are his daughter, Nora and his mother, Pinuccia Invernizzi—who is here on a visit from Lecco, on Lake Como in Northern Italy. And cooking with his mother makes more than a marvelous meal. It also stirs up some precious memories. “Every Sunday, right after breakfast, Mom started cooking. She cooked all morning long for a meal that wouldn't last more than 20 minutes!” he recalls. “It wasn't until I left home for the first time and moved to Paris that I realized what I had left behind. Then I started to really appreciate the time I had spent watching my mom and my grandmother in the kitchen.

Rabbit is a very nutritious meat. It is high in protein, amino acids, and vitamins. And it is low in cholesterol and calories. Bistro 218 chef and owner, Tom Saab’s grilled and braised rabbit recipe employs the classical techniques of braising and the redundant use of mirepoix, sometimes know as the trinity of French cookin

A popular New Year’s resolution for 2015 is eating GMO free. And once again Hot and Hot Fish Club is on the cutting edge—being a GMO free restaurant already. Today Chris Hastings shares his non-GMO and organic pan seared Pompano dish. This entrée is made with Sunchoke puree, crones, Swiss chard and forged oyster mushrooms.

Mary Grace Viado Howard is the Corporate Chef of all Village Tavern restaurants. So she gets to choose which location to call home. And she chose Birmingham—many years ago—and has lived and worked here happily since. The Birmingham location is at the lower level of The Summit and is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, and brunch on weekends. Today she shares her scrumptious, scratch made, fish and chips, along with her recipes for coleslaw and tartar sauce.

I am always open to hearing the soup specials when eating at Slice Stone Pizza and Brew. Experience has taught me that not only does Chef Terrill Brazelton make awesome pizzas using seasonal and local ingredients, he also knows his way around a pot of soup. His French Onion—served in a bread bowl—is as good as I have ever had, maybe the best. And now that fall is in the air, local root veggies are finding their way both onto the pizzas and into the soups at Slice.

I often dine at Bistro V for the fish of the day. It is consistently marvelous. Grouper, snapper, and any Gulf Seafood in the hands of executive chef Jeremy Downey—native of Bayou La Batre—never disappoints. Yet with today’s dish we discover that Downey’s culinary talents are wider than the sea. His Braised Short Ribs are also a favorite of many at Bistro V. Bistro V is co-owned by Downey and his partner, Emily Tuttle Shell who serves as general manager.

According to mythology Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, sprang from an oyster shell. And aphrodisiacs are named for her. So if you are cooking for your Valentine, it can’t hurt to include some oysters as an aphrodisiac. Oysters also have a lot of zinc and iron. Zinc deficiencies affect male fertility, and iron deficiency makes one tired. GianMarco’s Giani Respinto does not skimp on the oysters in this sexy dish.

Cassoeula is a traditional wintry dish that is popular in Northern Italy—particularly in Lombardy. Today Italian chef/owner of The Silvertron Café, Marco Morosini shares his expertise in cooking this comforting, plateful of goodness. Prepare this pork and vegetable dish after the first frost, when one of Cassoeula’s main ingredients, savoy cabbage becomes sweeter. As it slow cooks, it will fill the house with hearty aromas as the pork tenderizes and the vegetables caramelize.

Chef George Reis is always innovating the cuisine at his restaurants, Ocean and 26. And today he shares one of his cutting edge dishes, which incorporates a variety of seafood—Thai Green Curry Bouillabaisse. At Ocean this dish is served in a Tagine, Moroccan cooking vessel. And when the top is removed at the table, a steamy cloud of aromas whets the appetite for the first, succulent bite.

A very important part of my work as a food writer is… eating the food. And no matter what is put before me, with the exception of mushrooms/fungi that I am allergic to, I eat it. Through the years my palate has developed an appreciation of foods that I previous thought I did not “like.” Duck was one of those foods. I struggled to enjoy duck, even when prepared by the best of chefs. Yet today there was no struggle. Bistro 218’s Duck Confit, paired with a glass of Chateau Mirambeau, is not only the best duck I have ever tasted, it changed my former mindset about this bird. I loved Saab’s duck so much that and look forward to having it again soon at Bistro 218, where it takes him three days to prepare this classic French dish.

Panzanella is a Florentine salad of bread and tomatoes—also known as panmolle. And until the 20th Century it was based on onions, rather than tomatoes. The Silvertron Café’s owner and chef Marco Morosini mixes his Italian heritage with local tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers and onions to create a his tasty version of this dish.

Since Cantina opened the Shrimp Quesadillas have been a favorite dish. And today in “The Miracle Kitchen” here at Cantina, we learn the secrets that make them so good. And one of the secrets is the kitchen itself—where so many cooks create so much greatness in a small space.

Good chefs evolve their dishes with the seasons, and incorporate the best and healthiest ingredients possible. Accordingly Vino’s executive chef, Becky Rabiee has tweaked their popular daily seafood special to a lighter version, which includes fresh baby spinach—rather than pasta and sauce—and includes the best, fresh and organic products she can find locally.

Beloved Family Recipes™ is more than a cookbook. It is the culinary diary of a self made chef, John Krontiras, taking the reader around the world as he shares a lifetime of food memories.

Recipes and stories from the kitchens of his Greek family and his wife, Ottavia’s Italian family combine with his favorite restaurant dishes, experienced in his travels abroad. Family members come to life as Krontrias shares the expertise of each—in everything from the shape of their cooking vessels to secrets of cooking unexpected food products, such as wild dandelions. The book also includes descriptions of each dish’s historic origins, pronunciations of the dishes themselves, and full page, glossy color photos.

The old saying, “as easy as pie” does not apply to the making of Slice Stone Pizza and Brew’s signature pie—The Lakeview Pizza. The Lake View Pizza’s depth of flavors come from its layers of ingredients: braised short ribs, caramelized onion, roasted cherry tomatoes, Asiago, finished with arugula, red onion and horseradish sauce.

As native of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, Bistro V’s owner and chef, Jeremy Downey knows seafood. Today he is cooking whole, Gulf Coast Black Snapper with house made Ragu. “Black Snapper is a cousin to Red Snapper. It is smaller in size, swims at 50 to 75 feet, and has a sweeter taste,” Downey explains.

Risotto is a versatile and nutritious Italian dish that can be served as a first course or main dish. A key component of making risotto is the selection of the flavoring ingredient, which can be veggies, seafood, mushrooms, or any ingredient you choose. The chosen ingredient’s flavor characteristics become synthesized into the risotto as it is cooked. Make this dish your own by substituting the green peas with your favorite food. Then make another variation by experimenting with a different flavoring ingredient.

Mary Grace Viado is the corporate chef for all Village Tavern restaurants. Thus she could choose the make her home in any of 10 cities where Village Taverns are located. Yet Birmingham is her choice of home—where she is also the Village Tavern, Birmingham’s executive chef. Viado shares her secrets for a Southern and Village Tavern favorite, Shrimp & Grits. View Chef Video!

Florida hoppers are not frogs! They are a variety of pink shrimp with a distinctive red spot on their tail. Beloved by boat captains and land lovers alike, the hopper is one of our favorites of the five wild, American shrimp varieties.

I have an ongoing, and well publicized, love affair with Shula's Flash Fried Lobster. After covering it in Birmingham magazine's "One Dish" column and in "The Birmingham 100" for 2008, I am back for more. Today I want to learn the secrets of how executive chef of both Shula's Steak House and The Wynfrey Hotel, Rick Daidone prepares this wonderful dish.

Bottega Restaurant is famous for its handmade pasta. Now you can make it too with a little help from Frank Stitt. "People think that homemade pasta is too much trouble. But you just have to try it a few times to learn."

Pickling is a food preservation method that originated from the need to preserve out-of-season foods for long journeys, especially by sea. But the method survives today because people enjoy the resulting flavors. And okra-also known as lady's finger-is a popular vegetable for southern pickling.

George Reis shares his secret seasoning and grilling technique for lobster tails.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

The hickory wood fired, grilled baby lobster tails at Ocean and 26 are divine. They are consistently moist, succulent, and sweet. Executive chef and co-owner of Ocean and 26, George Reis shares his secrets. One secret is the art of building a hickory wood fire in a wood burning grill-and knowing how to cook on it. Another secret is "The Love," which is a seasoning that goes on every piece of grilled fish at Ocean.

Taramasalata dip is a Greek dip traditionally made with tarama-the roe of carp fish. "Since Nabeel's Cafe and Market opened in 1972, we have been making the taramasalata dip," Krontiras says. The dip is served in the Cafe and available ready in half pound and one pound containers in the Market. "When we first introduced it, no one really knew what it was. Now we sell over 150 pounds of it a week in the Market."

For Krontira’s caviar dip he uses the tarama sold in the Market. “Tarama has a pretty coral-pink color, but must be mixed with other ingredients to tone down the pungent flavor.

To make a great risotto you need the finest of ingredients, proper procedure and eighteen minutes. "The combinations are endless, but the procedure never changes," chef Giani Respinto explains. "When Gianmarco's customers order our seafood risotto, they are told it takes 18 minutes to prepare it."

The beautiful red-orange color of this drink in a simple martini glass is an elegant reminder of the holiday season.

Each year, Chris and Idie Hastings, owners of Hot and Hot Fish Club, enjoys hosting a holiday Christmas party for their neighborhood. And their friends and family agree that the Blood Orange Martinis are the highlight of this festive affair.

We always look for a variety of locally grown, heirloom tomatoes at our farmers' market. If heirlooms are not available, we opt for ripe red tomatoes that are grown locally. The whole baby okra make for a beautiful presentation but if it is unavailable substitute the larger sized okra and cut them into 1/2-inch pieces before breading and frying.

Hot and Hot Fish Club's Chris Hastings is always in search of the best, local purveyors in an effort support the local economy and bring the highest quality ingredients to his guests. And Henry Fudge and his Fudge Family Farms are the latest addition to his family of purveyors.

Ocean's chef George Reis is an experienced chef with accolades abound. Yet Reis realizes that no amount of culinary knowledge or learned technique can improve the quality of the product being prepared. "I love to buy locally grown produce, not only for the freshness but for the flavor that it adds to all of our salads and entrees," he says.

Real Food is a new column that debuted last month. It supports Birmingham's convivium of the international Slow Food movement. In a pecan shell, Slow Food is the opposite of fast food. It is grown or produced locally and arrives fresh, full of flavor.

“We chefs want to use more local products that will support the growers and producers but also the Southern food traditions of Alabama,” member of the movement Giani Respinto explains. Respinto, his brother Marco, and father Giovanni, own and operate GianMarco—a popular, upscale Italian restaurant in Homewood. “Alabama goat cheese Belle Chevre is available year round. And it is used in our Almond and Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese over Baby Arugula and Watermelon Carpaccio.”

Satterfield's Vegetable Terrine
Want to impress your guests? Make this dish, and pair it with Champagne.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

Vegetable terrines are dishes made of a variety of vegetables in layers. Vegetable terrines can be made of summer or fall root vegetables. Vegetable terrines make a nice presentation at a holiday meal. Becky Satterfield shares the recipe and techniques for Satterfield's Vegetable Terrine with Tomato Consume Aspic and Pea Tendrils

The Slow Food Movement just sprouted a Birmingham convivium (chapter). Frank and Pardis Stitt began the local movement in an effort to champion the Southern foods and food traditions of Alabama. In a "pecan shell," Slow Food is the opposite of fast food. It is not ordered through a microphone to a faceless menu board with a loud voice anxious to add fries or super-size. Slow Food is grown or produced locally and arrives fresh, full of flavor.